“Don’t let Anya hear you say that there’s someone around who’s more impressive than her son.”
Rassiel grimaced. “Yeah, she wouldn’t take it well. I don’t know what she sees in him, but she’s been spending a lot of time with him.”
“Well, he’s her son.”
“You really think that’s all there is to it?”
“I don’t know. She’s a female, though. You know how they are when it comes to kids.”
Mynor almost snorted. He kind of wished these people could meet his mother, but she’d died years ago. She would’ve kicked their asses, female or not.
It was kind of funny. They were terrified of Anya, but they didn’t respect her. No matter how cruel she was, she was still a female. She still wasn’t enough for them to respect her.
Rassiel shrugged. “I guess. He seems soft, though. I noticed him talking to one of the servants yesterday, and he was asking about their day.”
That didn’t sound like what Anya’s child would do. It made Mynor wonder if maybe this guy wasn’t as bad as her. He hadn’t grown up here with her. Maybe his father had raised him better than Anya could ever have.
But he was here now. He was spending time with Anya, living at the palace, and getting everything he could ever want. Mynorunderstood how tempting that could be. No matter where this guy came from, here, he had luxury and power. That could corrupt anyone.
But maybe, if he wasn’t as bad as Mynor had thought, he could be Mynor’s only opportunity to get out of the cell. No guards or servants would help because they were either terrified or loyal to Anya. Mynor needed a way to get to the guy. He needed to talk to him and convince him to let him go, and he had no idea how to do that. There was no reason for Anya’s son to visit the dungeons, and Mynor suspected that if the guy was as soft as the guard seemed to think he was, Anya would do what she could to keep him away from the cells. Even if he did find his way there, he might not be able to help.
Mynor’s only chance seemed so far away that he might as well not have it at all. The only thing he’d gained from the appearance of Anya’s son was more time, but eventually, that time would come to an end. Anya would remember he was here, and she’d want him to pay for what he’d done.
Or maybe this was her revenge. Maybe she was torturing him by making him listen to his guards gossip. Maybe she thought that eventually, he’d give in and tell her what she wanted to know, even though he had no idea what that was.
She’d have to wait for a long time if that was what she was waiting for.
Chapter Five
“Today, I’ll show you my territory.”
Justin perked up at Anya’s words. He’d asked several times about the town and the area around it, but she hadn’t allowed him to leave the palace yet. She’d said that she wanted them to have time to spend together first, and he’d agreed because, well, he didn’t have a choice. She was the ruler of this place, and what she said was law. He was curious, though, especially after what he’d seen when he’d first arrived. He didn’t want to think his mother was a bad ruler, but the area he’d portaled to hadn’t been the greatest. Of course, bad areas existed in the human realm, too, but it had made him wonder.
He put down his fork, suddenly not hungry for breakfast anymore. “Really? When are we leaving?”
Anya cocked her head and looked at him. Sometimes, he felt like an interesting insect in front of her. She had a way of watching him that made it obvious that she was waiting for something, but he didn’t know what.
“We’re not leaving the palace.”
Justin frowned. “How are you showing me your territory, then?”
“You’ll see.”
Justin forced himself to smile, but he wasn’t happy. There were too many odd things he didn’t know what to think of, and all of them involved his mother.
Sometimes, he was still stunned at the thought that he’d found her. He was happy because he’d wanted to know about her since he was a child, but at the same time, it hadn’t changed anything for him. He still didn’t know anything about her. He definitely didn’t know anything more about his father. Anya hadn’t told him how they’d met or what had happened between them, or why she’d left. She hadn’t told Justin anything. He couldn’t say she was intentionally hiding things from him, but that was what it felt like.
He didn’t like that. He was here to meet her and to get answers. It was her right not to tell him anything, but it was his right to leave if he wanted to. The problem was that he was starting to wonder if he’d be allowed to.
He pushed his breakfast around his plate for the rest of the meal. Anya noticed—he was pretty sure she noticed everything—but she didn’t say anything. She watched him in that way she did, as if she was reading him, and he kept his focus on his plate because it freaked him out a little. Sometimes, he wondered if maybe she could actually read his mind. It was ridiculous, but even though he was half-demon, Justin didn’t know demons. He didn’t know anything about them, not even about his mother.
“Ready?” she asked once she was finished eating.
Justin gave her a tight smile and nodded, following her when she left the dining room. Like the rest of the palace, it was too big for one or two people, too ornate for him to be comfortable eating there, and just too much in general. It made him yearn for the simple dining room in Caitlin’s house.
It made him yearn for home.
He followed Anya down hallways and up stairs. Initially, he’d tried to learn where every room was and how to get there,but he’d quickly realized that he didn’t have to. As soon as he stepped foot outside the bedroom that had been given to him, there was someone there to help him get where he needed to go. It had been nice in the beginning, but now, it felt controlling.
